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<\/p>\nCROTONA PARK EAST, The Bronx (WABC) — At least six people have been injured in a fire at a high-rise apartment building in the Bronx on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The second-alarm fire started in an apartment on the second floor of a six-story building at 1773 Vyse Ave. in the Crotona Park East section just after 4:30 p.m. Flames then spread to the floors above, close to the fire escapes firefighters were using to make sure there wasn’t anyone trapped.<\/p>\n
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“There were two people coming down the fire escape. That was the part that scared me the most,” said neighbor Hector Vargas said.<\/p>\n
Neighbors say a woman lives the apartment where the fire started.<\/p>\n
“There’s a lady who lives there that shouldn’t be living there by herself,” said Luis Rodriguez, who lives in the building. “She needs a home health attendant 24\/7 and sadly the reason why it happened.”<\/p>\n
Neighbors say the woman has a part-time aide who was not there, and that she likes to burn candles. They wonder if that’s what caused this destructive fire that drew more than 140 FDNY members into battle.<\/p>\n
They rescued the woman, getting her to a hospital where she’s being treated for serious injuries.<\/p>\n
Three other people from the building and two firefighters were treated for minor injuries. Everyone else managed to get out of the building unharmed.<\/p>\n
“Our neighbor comes banging on our door and he tells us to follow him. He takes us to the roof and then we switch buildings and then we go downstairs and that’s how we made it out,” said Denselye Morales, who lives in the building.<\/p>\n
At least nine families are getting help from the Red Cross and will need a place to stay Tuesday night. They’re hoping it won’t be long, and that their injured neighbor is OK.<\/p>\n
“Very sad and frustrated because it could have been prevented if she would have had somebody to take care of her 24 hours,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
While neighbors suspect an accident with candles started this fire, the FDNY still has to investigate and make a determination. Right now, it’s not considered suspicious.<\/p>\n
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